High School? But I'm an Alien!
by Burenda
Summary: Radditz must make a new home on Earth, but what's a teenage Saiyan to do when his brother's wife decides to put him in public high school? Sequel to Wish For The Past. Discontinued.
1. Laundry and Love

**Before you begin:** This is meant to be a side story to Seer of Life, the sequel to Wish For The Past. I'd highly recommend that you read that story before beginning this one. However, I have a feeling that there will be some people who will disregard this advice, so I'll try to sum up the most important things you'll need to know for this story. 

Time Frame: One year after the Buu Saga. Takes place during the beginning of Seer of Life. 

Things to know: Goten and Trunks made a trip to an alternate timeline where Vegeta-sei was never destroyed. Bardock and his _fifteen year old_ son Radditz joined them in their quest to find the dragonballs so Goten and Trunks could return to their timeline. At the end of the quest, because of *cough* circumstances (which I will not be explaining - go read WFTP!) both Bardock and Radditz chose to accompany the two demi-Saiyans back to their time. There was a period of time where Bardock and Radditz had to adjust to their new home and family (details of which can be found in Seer of Life), which is when this story takes place. 

Not so important to know: Goten and Trunks have tails (for more information, read Tails Times Two) and Goku was not killed by Cell. Maybe someday I'll write up a story explaining that little detail, but for now you'll just have to bear with me. 

Last, but not least, the DISCLAIMER! Every story's gotta have one. I don't own DBZ, I'm just playing around in Akira Toriyama's universe. If I owned DBZ, let me tell you, I'd be making a whole lot more money than I am right now, and I would NOT need to take Japanese classes. *grins* 

**High School? But I'm an Alien!**   
(Laundry and Love) 

It was a beautiful summer morning and the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. In a forest clearing located somewhere between the Son family home and Satan City (closer to the Son home than the city) birds were chirping cheerfully in an attempt to irritate the inhabitants of a small capsule house to the point where said occupants were sorely tempted to fry the little buggers for breakfast. 

One particularly brave (or foolish, depending on your point of view) blue bird swooped down from a tree to perch on a windowsill and burst forth into glorious, loud, shrill, _aggravating_ bird song. That little bird nearly lost its life when a poorly aimed ki blast whizzed through the open window mere inches above the creature's feathered head. Squawking in alarm, the blue bird flapped its wings furiously and took off in search of a safer place to sing. 

"Damn birds," Radditz growled sleepily from where he was sprawled out on his bed. Glowering blearily at the window where the morning sun was just beginning to pour through, the groggy teenager rolled onto his stomach and clutched his pillow over his head. "Go 'way! Go 'way an' lemme sleep! Find someone else to annoy!" 

The birds, of course, ignored him. 

A few minutes passed. Five ki blasts, one slightly singed bird, and several colorful phrases later, Radditz finally came to the realization that getting back to sleep would be impossible. Groaning in protest, the teenage Saiyan attempted to extricate himself from his tangled sheets, falling out of bed in the process and banging his head on the floor. 

"Ow!" Radditz rubbed his head and glared at the floor. Well, at least he was awake now. Still feeling sulky about being woken up so early, he grabbed a shirt off the floor and held it to his nose. Inhaling deeply, he nearly gagged at the overpowering scent of stale sweat, mold, and other unidentifiable but equally unpleasant odors. "That one's dirty," he grunted, tossing the garment aside. He quickly grabbed another shirt off the floor - not a hard task considering that his floor was covered with clothes. 

"Ugh!" The second shirt joined the first faster than you could say 'Frieza." 

"Phew!" A wadded pair of pants was dumped unceremoniously on top of the shirts. 

"Oh, that's foul!" Underwear. _Very_ dirty underwear. 

And so it went on for a full fifteen minutes in the quest for tolerably clean clothes as Radditz employed the most common method among teenagers. The nose knows and never lies, and Saiyan noses are especially sensitive to such things. Hurling a bloody, torn gi into the pile, the wild maned young man reached for another piece of clothing, only to pull up short when he realized that there wasn't any more clothing on the floor. All of it had gone into the discard pile. 

"Damn," he muttered, poking his head under the bed in the idle hope that he had missed something. No such luck. 

"Looking for something?" an amused voice called from the other side of the room, startling Radditz so badly that he jerked his head up and banged it on the underside of the bed - on the exact same spot that he'd hit earlier in his fall. 

"Ow! DAD!!" Radditz yelled as he got out from under the bed, clutching his sore head. "Don't do that!" 

"A warrior should never be caught with his guard down, Radditz," Bardock snickered. "It's your own fault." Radditz glared at him. Bardock ignored it. "What were you looking for?" 

"Clean clothes," the younger Saiyan admitted, gesturing at the pile of overly ripe laundry that he'd collected. "Unfortunately, it looks like I don't _have_ any." 

Bardock wrinkled his nose in agreement. "Time to do laundry," he remarked wisely. The boy's father frowned then, staring at the dirty clothes bemusedly. "You don't happen to remember how to work that clothes washing machine, do you?" Though he had fewer clothes than his son, provided courtesy of the eleven year old Bulma from their original timeline, he hadn't had to do any laundry of his own yet. Before the two of them had moved into this house they'd been living with Goku, Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goten, and Son Chi-Chi had cleaned all of his laundry for him. Radditz, on the other hand, had in typical teenage fashion stuffed all his clothes, clean and otherwise, into an empty capsule and declared himself packed. 

"Me?" Radditz queried incredulously, arching both eyebrows upwards. "I barely understood a word Bulma said! Besides which, since when did _I _ever do laundry?" It was true. When he was little, his mother was the one to make sure they had clean clothes to wear, though he never did find out if Sereri had washed them herself or arranged for someone else to do the job. After Sereri had died, the task had fallen to Bardock, who most certainly didn't know a thing about cleaning laundry! Bardock's concept of cleaning his clothes was jumping in a river while wearing them and hoping some of the dirt washed out. So, once a week, Bardock hired someone to come and wash their laundry for them. 

Scratching the back of his head, his father shrugged helplessly. "I suppose we could fly over to Kakarot's house and ask him," Bardock said dubiously. Frankly, his son didn't strike him as the type to know anything about clothes washing. 

"Maybe we should ask his mate instead," suggested Radditz, apparently thinking along the same lines as his father. Even if Chi-Chi did prefer washing dishes and clothes by hand, she might still know something about operating a washing machine. 

A faint grimace crossed Bardock's face at the mention of Chi-Chi. His experience with the woman so far had been... sometimes less than pleasant. His grown son's mate was a stubborn, overbearing, opinionated, dictator with a voice that, when she was particularly angry or distressed, made Bardock's ears ache just to think about it. In short, she was downright intimidating. Unfortunately, the only other option was to go to Bulma, and Bulma lived with Prince Vegeta.... 

"I suppose," he agreed grudgingly. Then another thought occurred to him which took away most of his scowl. "While we're up there, we can have today's reading lesson." Seeing the irritation that flashed across his son's face at the mention of their daily lessons, Bardock compressed his lips into a thin line. "We've had this discussion before, Radditz. This is our home now, and we will _both_ learn how to read and write the native language. I know you don't like the way Chi-Chi teaches, but-" 

"She treats me like a child! Just because we can already speak the language doesn't mean it's any less foreign to us! I'm not ignorant, I'm an _alien!_" 

"You _are_ a child, Radditz," Bardock gently reminded his son. 

"I'm _fifteen years old_, father!" Radditz fumed. 

"Which even by _human_ standards is still young," the elder Saiyan said pointedly. "By Saiyan standards you most definitely _are_ a child. You haven't even hit puberty yet, Radditz!" That earned a dark scowl from the boy. Bardock sighed. "Look, we ought to at least be grateful she's willing to teach us, because otherwise we'd have to find someone else to tutor us, and that could lead to a lot of awkward questions we'd rather not answer. Chi-Chi thinks you're progressing quickly, so it shouldn't be long before you won't need her help." Of course, "long" was a relative term, but Bardock didn't mention that. 

Though not in the least bit mollified, Radditz closed his mouth and glared at the pile of dirty laundry, for lack of a better object to focus his ire on. Abruptly standing, the teenager stalked out of the room, pausing only long enough to growl over his shoulder. "Let's get this over with." 

~*~ 

Upon reaching the Son residence and being invited inside, Radditz quickly slipped away from his father and Chi-Chi, hoping to escape her notice for as long as possible. While Bardock explained their predicament, the moody teen plucked a book off of one of the book shelves and settled down onto the couch. It wasn't that he disliked learning to read another language, it was simply the way Chi-Chi taught. The woman acted as though she had every right to try to control his life! 

"She's not my mother," Radditz muttered grumpily while flipping the book open to the page he'd bookmarked. The book might have been interesting if he was more familiar with Earth culture, but as it was he was continually tripping up over such phrases as 'knock on wood', 'Christmas', 'Halloween', 'the real McCoy', and others. Some things he could pick up from context, such as that whole Christmas thing. Halfway through the book and Radditz _thought_ he knew what it was - he hadn't asked Chi-Chi because he didn't want to launch her into another lengthy explanation that probably would have flown over his head. From what he could tell, Christmas involved exchanging gifts, parasitical plants being tied to light fixtures and door frames, then avoiding them for fear of... something (Radditz wasn't too sure on that part, although he thought it might have something to do with being attacked by insane women), and mock battles using snow instead of ki. But as for the other idioms and common vernacular.... Shaking his head, the young Saiyan gave up on trying to understand yet another unfamiliar term ("Kleenex? Is that a misspelled word? Clean-ex? Ex-clean? Maybe it's another word for making a mess...") and continued on to the next sentence. 

"Hey, Radditz." 

At Gohan's amiable greeting Radditz pulled his attention away from the book - not a very hard thing to do, actually. "Hi, Gohan," he replied cautiously, eyeing the older teen for any sign of animosity. Gohan's initial reaction when they'd first been introduced had been rather unpleasant for the fifteen year old. Apparently the demi-Saiyan had been kidnapped by Radditz's alternate self when Gohan had been a little kid, an experience that led to the death of his father, Son Goku. Needless to say, the experience had been scarring for Gohan, so when he'd suddenly found himself face to face with his 'evil Uncle Radditz' again, he had reacted badly. Staring into the menacing blue-green eyes of a none-too-happy Super Saiyan was a terrifying experience - not one he _ever_ wanted to repeat! Once matters had been cleared up Gohan had been a lot more polite, but Radditz wasn't about to take any chances, keeping his guard up whenever his nephew was in the room. 

"How's the reading coming along?" Gohan asked, sounding genuinely interested. 

Radditz hesitated for a moment. Living in the same house as Gohan, in fact sleeping on a cot in the same room, for as long as he had had done a lot towards easing Radditz's fear of the older boy, but he was still extremely wary of him. However, he also knew that Gohan was very intelligent. It was probably a safe bet that he could answer any questions that Radditz had about the book he was reading and Earth culture in general. Asking Chi-Chi was out of the question, at least as far as Radditz was concerned, but Gohan...? 

"Fairly well," he began tentatively. "My biggest problem is understanding idioms, slang, religious references, and the like. For instance..." He paused so that he could flip back a few pages to make sure he had the words right. "What's a 'French kiss' and how is it different from a normal kiss?" This particular question had been bothering him since he'd come across the phrase in his book. Sure, he was still prepubescent, so matters concerning love and sex didn't interest him all that much right now, but he figured he'd certainly want to know in a few years! 

To his surprise a scarlet flush crept up Gohan's cheeks. "Ah... er... well... French kissing is where you... um... I mean, your tongues... the girl and you... er... that is...." Each word only seemed to make the blush turn an even brighter shade of red, fascinating Radditz to no end. He didn't think he'd ever seen someone blush that badly before. 

As Gohan continued to stammer, never really answering Radditz's question, realization slowly dawned on the fifteen year old, making his eyes widen. "You haven't hit puberty yet, either!" he suddenly exclaimed, startling his nephew out of his embarrassment. 

"Huh? What are you talking about, Radditz? Of course I've hit puberty! I'm nineteen years old!" A frown creasing his brow, Gohan turned a confused look on his fifteen year old uncle. "What do you mean, 'either'? Are you saying you _haven't_ hit puberty yet?" 

"Of course I haven't, baka," stated Radditz matter-of-factly. Wondering if Gohan could actually not know about the their race's maturation process, he elaborated, "Most Saiyans don't hit puberty until they're about seventeen or eighteen years old. We'll usually have a growth spurt around age fifteen, and sometimes we'll have sexual feelings, especially if someone starts petting our tails, but the hormones don't really appear until a couple years later. Didn't you know that?" 

Gohan shook his head. "No, I didn't. Humans tend to mature a lot faster than Saiyans, so it happens to them when they're around thirteen." Glancing in the direction of the room where Chi-Chi and Bardock were still talking, he muttered under his breath, "It certainly explains a lot, though." Radditz chose not to ask what he meant. 

"So, _have_ you hit puberty yet?" he asked instead, curious. "You _are_ a halfbreed, so maybe it's different for you..." 

"Ah... yes, Radditz, yes I have." The blush was back in full force now, his face nearly matching the crimson color of the pants he was wearing. 

"How do you know?" 

If anything, Gohan's cheeks burned even more brightly. "I... ah... have noticed an increase in my body's... uh... hormonal activity." Radditz arched an eyebrow at the way his nephew had phrased that statement. Seeing the look on Radditz's face, Gohan reluctantly and with great embarrassment added, "You see, there's this girl...." 

Radditz quickly raised his hand to stop Gohan from continuing, shaking his head with a grin. "I get the point, Gohan. You don't have to say anything." Allowing the older teen a moment to relax, he placed a bookmark in his book and set it aside. "You never did answer my question," he said, back tracking to their earlier topic of conversation. "So? What's a 'French kiss'?" 

Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other and looking for all the world like a deer caught in headlights, Gohan tugged nervously at the collar of his shirt. "Er... maybe you should ask my mom that question, Radditz." 

An expression of distaste crossed Radditz's face at the suggestion, but before he could even open his mouth to protest another voice cut him off. 

"Ask me what?" inquired Son Chi-Chi, who had apparently finished talking to Bardock about their laundry problem. Trailing close behind her, the spiky haired warrior was already holding a book, clearly ready to begin the day's reading lesson. 

"Never mind," Radditz hastily dismissed the subject, avoiding the petite woman's eyes. This was something he most _definitely_ did not want to bring up in front of Chi-Chi! He had seen the way she reacted whenever Gohan mentioned anything to do with girls, love, or children, constantly pestering her son with suggestions and questions about his love life. Radditz didn't think he could stand it if she started meddling in his love life, too! Even though he didn't _have_ one right now.... "It's not important. So!" he continued with false enthusiasm. "How about we get started on the lesson?" 

Chi-Chi cleared her throat, then smiled. "Actually, about that... You've been making great progress, Radditz. Your vocabulary and reading comprehension are quite good - you've hardly had to ask any questions about things you don't understand! I've been thinking - and your father agrees - that it's time to send you to public school." 

~~**~~ 

Ah, another attempt at writing humor. I think I'm getting better at this, but I could be wrong. *wry smile* It's been an interesting challenge to try to write a story from a fifteen year old boy's point of view. I've been intending for quite some time now to devote a story to Radditz (he's greatly under appreciated!) and at last I found the inspiration to do so. 

Before anyone thinks I made a mistake, yes, I _did_ mean for Bardock to call Goku "Kakarot," despite the fact that during most of WFTP he referred to chibi Goku as "Goku." There's a reason for this, but I'm not going to explain it here. It'll come up either in Seer of Lifeor later on in this story. 

The theories on Saiyan puberty and life expectancy are based mostly on speculation. Hey, Goku didn't start growing until around age fifteen, and neither he nor his son (Gohan) really started noticing girls until their late teens! And from what I've seen of the anime and the manga, it appears that Saiyans either age very gracefully, or they have a longer life span. I don't think that the conclusions I've drawn are unrealistic. 

Be that as it may, I hope you've enjoyed reading! Reviews are appreciated, but completely voluntary. 


	2. No More Door Abuse Please!

_As of October 10, 2003, Seer of Life has not been posted. _I've started to work on it, but I can't really do much until I finished Wish For The Past. High School? But I'm an Alien! jumps forward in time a bit, which I usually try to avoid, but since it has very little to do with the main plot of either story, I figured it was okay to start posting anyway. 

Thanks to Shella, I was made aware of something I forgot to warn everyone about. She mentioned that my portrayal of Chi-Chi almost seemed like character bashing. To set things straight, let me first state that I do NOT dislike Chi-Chi. If I met her in real life, I think my personality would clash with hers, but that's entirely beside the point. She's an awesome character, literarily speaking. The reason why her characterization seems to be a little overdone in some areas is because this story is almost purely from Radditz's point of view. His views and opinions are coloring how each character is portrayed. So if someone (e.g. Chi-Chi) seems to be getting cast in an overly negative or overly positive light, it's because we're seeing things through Radditz's eyes. I suppose I could have written this in first person perspective to emphasize that, but I really don't like writing in first person for the most part. 

The other thing that readers probably won't realize at first is that this story starts off in the middle of a transition period. Bardock and Radditz are still getting used to this new life on Earth and their new family. Relationships are still rough, even between Bardock and Goku, but especially with Chi-Chi. She doesn't strike me as the type of character that is easy to get along with at first. Not until you get to know her better. So, again, what may seem like character bashing is really the result of strained relationships. 

One last thing to remember: Radditz IS a fifteen year old boy, and we ALL know how moody they can be. *pats Radditz on the head* Don't be too hard on him for acting his age. 

Disclaimer: The only cash I have right now is ten American dollars, which I owe to someone else for a favor they're doing me. Does that sound like the way a rich creator of a highly popular anime would live? I think not. Guess that means I don't own DBZ. ^_^* 

**High School? But I'm an Alien!**   
(No More Door Abuse Please!) 

"How could you side with HER?!" Radditz exploded as soon as he and his father got home. "Whatever happened to loyalty to family, huh?! And since when did _her_ opinion count for more than mine?! I'm your SON-" 

"And I'm your _father!_" Bardock snapped, cutting the fifteen year old off in mid-rant. Growling angrily, the older Saiyan slammed the door shut behind him with so much force that it was a surprise that it didn't break. He then stalked over to his son and leveled one finger at the boy's chest, giving him a glare so hot it would have melted steel. "I am doing what I feel is best for you, regardless of who agrees or disagrees with me! Chi-Chi's opinion had _nothing_ to do with my decision to send you to public school. In fact, it was _my_ idea in the first place!" 

That brought Radditz up short. The teenager stared at his father incredulously, so surprised that he completely forgot he was angry. "What?" 

Bardock folded his arms. "You heard me. It was my idea to send you to public school. I mentioned it to Chi-Chi, and she told me she'd been having thoughts along the same lines." 

Looking somewhat nonplused, Radditz folded his arms as well and scowled challengingly back at his father. "Then why did she make it sound as if it was _her_ idea?" 

"Because," Bardock sighed, "as I just told you, she'd been having the same thoughts. Maybe she _does_ think it was her idea, but _I'm_ the one who brought it up. If you're going to be angry at someone, at least put the blame where it belongs." His lips compressed into a hard, thin line. "And next time, you will _not_ humiliate me like that in front of someone, Radditz. I thought I raised you better than that! Did you have to use _that_ particular insult? _And_ translate it?!" 

Smirking with contrived innocence, the wild maned teen flopped down onto their couch. "What? It was true! She _is_ a-" 

"Radditz..." Bardock glared warningly. 

"Sorry, tousan," Radditz replied unrepentantly. The smirk slipped off his face, replaced instead by a sulky scowl. "I still don't see why you want to send me to an Earth school. I'm doing just fine learning things from books!" His tail twitched beside him agitatedly, just as telling an indication of his mood as his face, assuming you knew how to read emotions from tail gestures. 

Rolling his eyes at his son's moodiness, Bardock sat down on the couch as well. "There are other things to learn besides what you can find in books. How to interact with people, for one thing," he said pointedly. "After the way you behaved today I'm more convinced than ever that you need to go to school and socialize with other teenagers." 

"But they're _human_ teenagers, dad!" Radditz protested. "I'm not _like_ them! How the hell do you expect me to learn _human_ social behaviors? And _why_ would you _want_ me to?!" 

Bardock raised an eyebrow at the younger Saiyan. "That's funny. Your brother seems to have no problem learning human behavior." 

"He doesn't count, dad," Radditz grumbled irritably. "He hit his head on a rock, forgot everything about being a Saiyan, and was _raised_ as a human. And you didn't answer my question!" 

An exasperated sigh blew threw Bardock's lips. "In case you forgot, Earth is our _home_ now, Radditz. It's important to learn how to co-exist with the planet's other inhabitants, and that includes learning how to interact with them on a daily basis." 

"Oh yeah?" Radditz shot back. "If it's so important, then why aren't _you_ going to school with me?!" 

Bardock's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. Abruptly standing up, the elder warrior started pacing, a habit that Radditz had learned to recognize as his father's way of trying to control his temper. "Radditz, I'm starting to get fed up with your attitude! As your father I deserve more respect than you've been giving me lately! Not only that, but it seems like you're trying to pick a fight with everyone you meet today. First Chi-Chi, now me; just what the hell is wrong with you?!" 

Angrily rising to his feet, Radditz glared at his father. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'd like to have some say in what you decided to do with _my_ life?! But, nooo! You just up and announce to Chi-Chi that you think I should go to school, and she agrees, and nobody bothers to consult _me!_ I'm fifteen years old, father! Maybe that's not old enough to consider me an adult, but it sure as hell ought to give me a little control over my own life! In case you forgot, I _was_ in Frieza's army, same as you! If I'm old enough to go on planet clearing missions _on my own_, I should be old enough that you could at least _ask_ me how I felt about going to public school!" 

"Don't take that tone with me, Radditz," Bardock growled, eyes flashing. "And using Frieza's army is hardly the example I'd give to prove my maturity, if I were you. Frieza isn't exactly known for caring what age his soldiers are!" 

"That's not the point!" Radditz yelled back. "The point is that I'm _not_ a child anymore, so stop treating me like one!" Whirling around, the Saiyan teen stormed out of the room with his tail lashing furiously behind him. Moments later the capsule house shook for the second time in the last five minutes as yet another door was slammed shut. 

Much more of that kind of treatment, and Bardock and Radditz wouldn't have _any_ doors left to abuse. 

~*~ 

For the next several days the tension in the house was thick enough to crawl down your throat and choke you to death if you weren't careful. Neither Saiyan wanted to back down, each feeling that they were clearly in the right and that the other should bend to their point of view. Fortunately for the Son household, Chi-Chi had canceled their daily reading lessons so that she could start looking into where to send Radditz to school. Orange Star High had been the best option at the time she had sent Gohan to school, and likely still was, but she just wanted to be sure. It wouldn't do to send her husband's brother to anywhere but the best of schools. After all, he was _family_! But without the daily visits from Bardock and Radditz, the Son family was spared the bouts of frigid silence and heated arguments that the two Saiyans were prone to. Thank Kami for small blessings. 

It wasn't until Gohan flew over to their house with a sheaf of papers in his hand - paperwork to get Radditz registered for school at Orange Star High - that the stalemate was finally broken. 

Naturally, as soon as Radditz realized the reason for Gohan's visit he immediately retreated to his room and slammed the door shut for what must have been the hundredth time that week. It was a miracle that poor door had lasted this long! The moody teenager threw himself onto his bed and glared up at the ceiling, angry with his father, angry with Chi-Chi, angry with Gohan... heck, he was angry with the world in general! _Stupid planet with its baka ningen and their blasted public schools...._

_Knock knock knock._

At the sound of someone knocking at his door, Radditz growled. "Go away!" 

In blatant disregard for that command, the door opened up to reveal none other than Son Gohan. The nineteen year old demi-Saiyan took a few steps into the room and gently closed the door before turning around to face his uncle. "I wanted to talk to you, Radditz," he said calmly. 

Radditz glared. "Well, that makes _one_ of us, because I _don't_ want to talk to you! Get out, Gohan!" At this point he didn't even care that Gohan was a Super Saiyan and could easily tear him limb from limb. At least then he wouldn't be forced to go to school with a bunch of teenage humans! 

Once again ignoring his rude comments, Gohan shook his head. "Look, I know what you're going through, Radditz. I was eighteen when my mother suddenly decided that I needed to go to a 'real' school so I could get my high school diploma and get into a good college. I thought it was a complete waste of my time, considering that I already knew everything they were going to teach me there. Then I met Videl and decided that maybe high school wasn't so bad." A slightly goofy grin crossed Gohan's face, causing Radditz to snort in disgust. 

"I'm not interested in meeting girls," he stated bluntly. 

Once again serious, Gohan folded his arms. "Have you even thought this through completely?" Seeing the younger boy's confusion at this question, he elaborated. "Have you thought of what will happen if you somehow convince my mom and your dad not to send you to high school?" 

"What do you mean?" Radditz asked suspiciously. 

"I mean that you'll still have to go to school, and that if you don't go to public high school, that means you're going to be home schooled." Giving his fifteen year old uncle a pointed look, Gohan added, "By my mom." 

"What?!" Radditz yelped, alarmed by even the thought. Once a day for short reading lessons was bad enough, he didn't even want to _think_ what it would be like to be under his sister-in-law's tutelage for hours on end every day! 

"There isn't any way out of it, Radditz," the older teen commented wryly. "When you're related to my mom, even if it's only by marriage, it's practically law that you get a good education. Heck, she even got dad to take driving lessons, even though flying is faster and cheaper. So, you have a choice: You can go to Orange Star High, or you can be home schooled. Given how you and my mom don't really get along, I think you'd probably be happier in public high school." 

Radditz hesitated, unwilling to give up his moral high ground, but was finally forced to concede Gohan's point. A sigh of resignation escaped his lips as he rolled over onto his side, facing away from his nephew. "Fine," he said wearily. "Go tell my father I'll go to public school." Hearing Gohan's footsteps recede and the door open and shut again, as quietly as the first time, the hapless teen groaned. _Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?_

~*~ 

Within a week Radditz was registered to attend school at Orange Star High. Because of the huge distance between their current location and Radditz's habit of waking up late, Bardock and Radditz ended up moving their capsule house closer to Satan City, although still well away from the rest of civilization. Chi-Chi had called Bulma in to help speed up the registration process, knowing that school would start in less than two weeks. She stressed time and time again how important it was to be there on the first day of school and making a good impression on the teachers. Radditz couldn't care less - but he made sure not to say _that_ out loud. 

After they had successfully finished signing Radditz up to attend high school, Bulma had helpfully offered to take the teenage boy shopping to get him some nice "school clothes," as she had called them. Radditz had balked at first, remembering quite well what had happened the _last_ time he'd gone clothes shopping with the blue haired onna. However, no one resists Bulma Briefs when it comes to going shopping, and it didn't take long for the scientific genius to get the young Saiyan to change his mind. Of course, it had helped that Vegeta had walked in during their argument and had barked out an order to "Just shut up and do as the onna wants, brat!" 

And so here Radditz was, deep in the heart of the Satan City mall, with the world's richest woman and her infant daughter, the newly born Bra Briefs, at his side. 

"Here, Radditz. I want you to go into that room and try these on to see how they fit," Bulma said, handing him a couple white button-up shirts and dark navy pants. 

Radditz sighed as he accepted them with a wordless grumble, then trudged his way over to the changing rooms. It hadn't been that bad, really, shopping with the older version of the little girl he'd met in the past. This Bulma Briefs was happily married - to _Vegeta-ouji_ of all people! - and wasn't constantly ogling him or trying to get him into the most ridiculous outfits. There had been no incidences with biker stores and no ice cream in his hair, no brightly colored, eye wrenching shirts and no 'tuxedos'. Bulma had even made sure to feed him lunch before they went shopping, so he wasn't starving to death, either! Obviously she had gone shopping with Saiyans before and knew well the limits of their appetites. Nor was she trying to drag him into every store they passed, for which Radditz was extremely grateful. No, this was a shopping trip with a mission, and it seemed likely that as soon as they had picked out a half dozen outfits or so they would be leaving. 

Still, shopping was boring, and the process of trying on clothes to find something that fits was nothing short of tedious. At least Bulma had a good eye for size and figure, so pretty much everything she handed to Radditz fit. It was only a matter of finding clothes that measured up to some intangible scale of "looking good on him and still being appropriate for school." Radditz had never been to an Earth school before, obviously, so he had to trust Bulma's judgment on this completely. That, of course, was exactly what Bulma wanted. 

Pulling on one of the pairs of pants and buttoning up the shirt, the Saiyan teen tucked the shirt tails into his pants as Bulma had instructed him, then stepped back out of the changing room. With a sigh he headed straight to where he could see the woman examining some clothes, wanting to get this whole thing over with as soon as possible. He caught Bulma's attention and, as soon as she looked away from the rack of clothes, started turning around slowly so she could see how everything fit. They'd been through this process enough times already that he did it automatically now. 

"Hmm..." Bulma pursed her lips and eyed him critically. In her stroller, Bra gurgled and cooed at the sight of his wild mane of hair, which Radditz was _very_ careful not to let get anywhere near her hands. He'd already learned the hard way that Bra was a grabby baby, and for some reason she seemed especially attracted to his hair. His tail, too, for that matter, but it was a lot easier to guard his tail than it was to guard his hair. "How does it feel around the tail?" 

"Just fine, Bulma-san," Radditz sighed. Lucky for him, this planet had more than one species, so there were clothes designed to fit the animal-like beings he saw from time to time, which meant that there were clothes that were made to accommodate people with tails. That didn't stop Bulma from asking each time if the current pair of pants fit around his tail. _I guess I should consider myself fortunate that she even cares. Better to have to answer the same question over and over again than to have pants that pinch my tail._

"Well, the other shirt and pants I gave you are the same size and style, so they'll probably fit just fine." Radditz gaped at her. Was she saying that she wasn't going to make him try on the other pair of clothes before buying them? "I think we have enough clothes now to last you through the beginning of school. We'll probably need to take you shopping again sometime around Christmas. Sooner, if you don't take care of your clothes." 

"Christmas?" There was that term again. What did this "Christmas" have to do with buying clothes? 

"Oh, that's right. You're not familiar with Earth holidays. Christmas is a religious holiday that happens near the beginning of winter that a lot of people like to celebrate by giving gifts, visiting family and friends, and that sort of thing. There's more to it than that, of course, but you probably wouldn't understand just yet and it'd take too long to fully explain. Anyway, there are often a lot of sales around that time of year, so that would be the best time to buy more clothes if you need them." 

"Oh." Well, that made a lot more sense than what he'd managed to glean from the books he'd read. 

"Go change back into your normal clothes and bring the shirts and pants to me so I can pay for them," Bulma said, turning back to the rack of clothes she'd been looking at before Radditz showed up. Radditz glanced at them, just in case it was something he'd have to try on himself, only to discover that the rack was full of baby clothes. Definitely not for the fifteen year old Saiyan. 

When Radditz came back and handed the shirts and pants the Bulma, she immediately headed over to a counter to pay for them, leaving the teen to watch over Bra. Radditz eyed the blue haired baby warily, knowing full well that she'd take any chance she could get to grab his hair. Bra blinked innocently up at Radditz, then cooed happily and waved one arm in the boy's direction. Or, more specifically, his hair. The spiky haired teen hopped back a step nervously, eliciting a giggle from the baby he was watching. 

"You just like making me jump," he said accusingly, scowling at the little Saiyan princess. Bra gave Radditz a grin and gurgled. "Hmph. I knew it!" 

"Okay, I think we've got everything now," Bulma announced as she walked back to the pair and handed Radditz the bags with his new clothes. "Wow, that must have been one of the least stressful shopping trips I've ever taken a Saiyan on! Vegeta always tries to blow people up, and Trunks and Goten are nothing if not mischief makers. You're a very well behaved kid, Radditz, you know that?" 

A bead of sweat rolled down the back of the teenager's head. _Does _everyone_ think of me as just a kid?!_ he fumed silently. Not bothering to respond to Bulma's comment, he simply followed her out of the store. High school was really starting to appeal to him. If everyone was going to treat him like a child, at least he wouldn't be alone in the injustice. There'd be hundreds of other teenagers there, many of them similarly discriminated by their friends and family, so he'd probably fit right in. Misery loves company, after all, even if they're only human. 

Time passed all too quickly, and as the first day of school drew closer and closer, Radditz was filled with a mixture of dread and anticipation. On the one hand, he still chafed at being forced to attend school with a bunch of humans, not even being given much of a choice in the matter. But on the other hand, this was an opportunity to get away from his father and his brother's family, a chance to get to know people without constantly being compared to his illustrious relatives. No one knew him or his family, so whatever opinions they formed about him were all of _his_ making. _He'd_ be in control of how they viewed him. For the first time in his life, Radditz would be standing on his own merit, and that gave him an almost heady feeling. 

So, maybe school wouldn't be so bad. Then again, maybe it would. He'd find out soon, because school started tomorrow. 

~~**~~ 

This chapter wasn't very funny, in my opinion, but it helped me to establish Radditz as a very different character from Gohan, despite having to go through similar trials. It also gave me a chance to explore the relationship between Radditz and his father, something that I felt I was neglecting in Wish For The Past. The only hints you got in WFTP of their relationship leaves you thinking that they get along just fine, but obviously that can't be the case with a teenage Saiyan who not too long ago was exercising independence and rebelliousness by joining Frieza's planet clearing army. Besides, no relationship is ever perfect. 

Just in case the conversation with Gohan draws protests from anyone who thinks Gohan was perfectly happy to go along with his mother's plans, let me just state that Gohan was tailoring his reply to Radditz's ears. Gohan is a very diplomatic, peace-maker kind of guy, and he was trying to use their similar experience to get his uncle to relate to him. We won't know exactly how Gohan felt about going to high school because this story isn't _about_ him. It's about Radditz. 

Once again, remember that characterization in this story is biased by Radditz's opinions. 

Reviews are always welcome, but, as I said last time, they're completely voluntary. 


	3. First Friends

Disclaimer: I have a job now. A real life job that pays real money. *starts rubbing her hands gleefully* Do you realize what this means? Someday I shall have enough money so that I can TAKE OVER THE WORLD!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Or, failing that, I'd gladly buy DBZ. ^_^ I don't own DBZ yet, but someday... someday... *trails off into another bout of disturbing laughter*  
  
On another note, credit goes to my sister for the professor's name. Thanks a lot, sis!  


**High School? But I'm an Alien!  
**(First "Friends")**  
**

Straightening out a few imaginary wrinkles in Radditz's shirt, Chi-Chi sighed happily. "You look really handsome in those clothes, Radditz. Why, I bet that you'll have to beat the girls off with a stick! If only you'd let me cut your hair..." she trailed off longingly, fingering a lock of his spiky black hair. 

"No, thank you," Radditz muttered sourly, deftly snatching his hair away from his sister-in-law. "I like my hair just the way it is, so hands off!" Dressed in a neatly pressed, white button up shirt that sported the school badge, black slacks, and shiny black shoes, the Saiyan male looked the spitting image of what every mother wished their teenage son looked like on the first day of school. Except, of course, for the hair. 

"But it's so long!" protested Chi-Chi, despite the fact that they'd already had this argument. "It makes you look like some kind of juvenile delinquent!" 

"Mom, it's a little late to be worrying about Radditz's hair." Resting one hand on his mother's shoulder, Gohan held out his other wrist so his mother could read the time on the watch he was wearing. "School's about to start and he needs to get to class." He and Chi-Chi had accompanied the young teen on his way to school to make sure he didn't get lost and that everything went smoothly. Looking his mother in the eye, Gohan pointedly added, "You wouldn't want him to be late, would you?" 

"Of course not!" Chi-Chi fumed. "It's the first day of school! He needs to make a good impression on his teachers, Gohan. How could you even think such a thing?! Radditz, you get into that school right now, young man! And Gohan, you go with him to make sure he finds his classroom." 

"Okay, mom." 

Radditz suppressed an amused smile at the skill with which his nephew manipulated Chi-Chi into ending her last minute fussing. "Yes, ma'am," he sighed, adjusting the shoulder strap on his book bag. He didn't really feel like fighting with Chi-Chi today, despite the fact that he didn't appreciate being ordered around like some stupid chibi. It just wasn't worth it, especially when going into the school meant that he would be getting away from her that much sooner. 

"Don't worry," said Gohan as he led his young uncle into Orange Star High, weaving in and out of the horde of students who were all heading to advisory. "It's not so bad once you get used to it." He paused to check one of the several lists posted on the walls that sorted students into rooms alphabetically by their surname. "Let's see... Son... Son... Here we go. Tenth grade, Q through T, room 215. That'll be on the second floor." 

Son Radditz. Since Saiyans didn't have surnames, Chi-Chi had decided that Radditz and Bardock that it was only logical that they share Goku's family name. Radditz shook his head. It felt _weird_ having two names when, for all his life, just one was sufficient. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get on with it," he grumbled, following the demi-Saiyan up the nearest flight of stairs. 

By the time they reached the classroom Radditz was supposed to go to, his ears were ringing from the noise created by hundreds of chattering teenagers thundering through the halls. _Don't any of these baka ningen know how to walk _quietly_?!_ Rubbing his poor, sensitive ears, the irritated teen paused outside the door to room 215 to peer warily into the classroom. Gohan had explained that advisory wasn't actually a real class, just the place where students would receive their schedules so they'd know which class they were supposed to be in. He probably wouldn't see most of these students again, but there was still a chance that some of then would be his classmates for the rest of the year. Seeing the crowd of gangly, pimple faced, loud mouthed teenagers, Radditz couldn't help but make a disgusted face. _Kami, I'm going to have to go to school with _these_ whey faced whelps?_

"Now remember, Radditz," Gohan said in a low voice, pulling his uncle aside into a relatively isolated spot. "_Try_ to keep your power in check. I know it's hard, but you really don't want to cause a panic or draw too much attention to yourself. Remember that humans can't jump more than a few feet into the air, they can't fly, they can't use ki, and they can't hit much harder than a Saiyan toddler. At least, that's what Vegeta says, anyway. I wouldn't know, since the only Saiyan babies I've ever met were Trunks, Goten, and Bra, and they're not exactly typical kids." 

"I know, I know!" Radditz growled impatiently. "We went over this at least half a dozen times already!" Folding his arms across his chest, the teenage Saiyan scowled in the direction of the students in room 215. He didn't much like the idea of having to keep a low profile by pretending to be a pathetic weakling like the rest of his fellow students. So he was strong. So what? He was a proud member of the strongest fighting race in the universe. He was _supposed_ to be strong! It wasn't _his_ problem that most humans were naturally inferior.... 

Except that it was his problem. Even he had to admit, grudgingly, that he didn't really want to have a bunch of students either screaming in fear every time they saw him or constantly pestering him about his inhuman strength. 

Ignoring Radditz's bad attitude, perhaps even empathizing with it to a degree, Gohan smiled encouragingly. "Better go take your seat before the bell rings. Good luck, Uncle Radditz." The nineteen year old Saiyan stuck out his hand. 

Radditz sighed, then clasped the hand briefly. "Bye, Gohan," he muttered, not bothering to watch as the other boy walked out of the room. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned to face the tiered rows of desks and chairs filled with boys and girls who didn't seem to know how to shut up. Half of them were standing up talking to old friends, leaning against the desk on the next step up the tier, while others were sitting in their chairs, on the desk, or on the floor. Well, sitting was more of a relative term, since some of the kids had their legs propped up on their desk or were hunched over so they could lay their heads on the table top. A couple of them were even outright snoring. Radditz cracked a smile at that. _Obviously, I'm not the only person here who doesn't like getting up early,_ he thought with an ill concealed yawn. 

Shouldering his book bag, the wild maned teen headed for the nearest available seat and plopped down in it. He was tempted to follow the example of the other sleepy students and rest his head on the desk, but the bell chose that moment to go off, killing any ideas he might have had about catching a few more minutes of sleep with a few well timed, annoying, and _loud_ rings. Loud to his ears, anyway. "I could quickly learn to dislike that thing," he growled under his breath, giving the little metal fixture on the side of the wall an evil look. 

"If you think that's bad, wait'll you hear the buzzer they use over the P.A. system whenever they want to make announcements to the school," a black haired boy sitting to his left laughed ruefully. "Man, that thing is _obnoxious!_" The teen thrust his hand out and grabbed Radditz's hand without permission, giving it a hearty shake. "Tape, Scott. I take it you're new to Orange Star High." The kid laughed again, giving the impression that liked to laugh a lot. "You'd have to be, or you'd already be used to the bell." 

Radditz quickly disengaged the unsolicited handshake with a grimace of distaste. "Son, Radditz," he muttered, quickly turning to face the front of the room to avoid any more invasions of his personal space. He had no desire to socialize with anyone right now, thank you very much. _What the hell is a 'P.A. system'?_

"Radish?" Scott chuckled loudly. "That's funny. You don't look like a radish to me!" 

A low growl rumbled in the back of Radditz's throat and his eyes flashed dangerously. If he wasn't in the mood to socialize, he certainly wasn't in the mood to have his name mocked! 

"Oh, stop teasing him, Scott," a lilting soprano interrupted Radditz's visions of bloody vengeance. Scowling, the fifteen year old alien turned around to see who had spoken. The fact that it turned out to be a pretty blond girl with bright blue eyes didn't lessen the dark expression on his face one bit. From her seat in the next row up the blond leaned over the desk and winked conspiratorially at Radditz. "Don't mind him. He's always like that." She held out a delicate hand for Radditz to shake, only to have the other boy completely ignore the gesture. Seemingly unfazed by his rudeness or by his intense, irritated stare, she sat back in her chair and flashed a dazzling smile. "My name's Rubber, Sementa, but you can call me Sementa." 

Though he had absolutely no interest in responding to this girl, Radditz was relieved by her apparent decision to be on a first name basis with him. The practice of referring to people by their family name was, to him, awkward and impractical, especially if more than one person from that family was present or well known. If someone called out "Son" or "Mr. Son" or, heaven forbid, "Son-kun", they could easily be referring to Goku, Gohan, or even Goten! Best encourage the girl to call him by his first name, too. Maybe others would pick up on it and follow suit. "Fine," he grunted. "So long as you call me Radditz." 

For some reason, this response caused Sementa's eyes to light up and a flurry of giggles to erupt from both her and the two girls sitting to either side of her. Wondering what exactly it was he'd said that was so funny, Radditz scowled at the trio of teenage girls, then abruptly turned away with a loud "hmph!" Unfortunately, this only sparked off another bout of titters and giggling whispers that, for the most part, were indecipherable, except for the repeated mention of his name and the letters "Q" and "T"... probably referring to the letters that had been used to sort this particular group of students. Deciding that ignoring them was the only way to deal with them, the long haired Saiyan folded his arms and concentrated on pretending his gaze alone could burn holes into the blackboard in front of him.  


At that moment the door opened and in tottered what must have been the most ancient creature Radditz had ever seen. The bent and wizened old man was leaning heavily on a knobbled wooden cane, looking as though he was about to keel over and croak on the spot. The whole class quieted down and the young Saiyan watched, wide eyed, as this specimen of living decay shuffled over to his desk and fumbled for a sheaf of papers laying on top of it. How in the world did someone manage to get so _old_ and still be alive?!  
  
"Good morning, students," the aged teacher wheezed, then abruptly broke out in an alarming fit of coughing that had Radditz convinced that they'd be burying him before the end of the day. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "Allergies." One hand dipped into a pocket in his brown tweed coat and retrieved a white cloth which he used to wipe his nose. Before Radditz had a chance to wonder what "allergies" meant, the old man continued. "My name is Professor Gerry Atric. I apologize for being late. These old bones of mine don't handle stairs as well as they used to. Now then, before we get on with advisory, I will call role. When I call your name, you will answer by either saying 'here' or 'present'. And do not mumble. Just because I have an expensive piece of technology in my ear," he tapped his ear, "doesn't mean I will either understand or tolerate unclear speech. Quest, Chun?"  
  
"Here!"  
  
"Quill, Fetha?"  
  
"Present, sir!"  
  
"Reddo, Kran?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here."  
  
"Rubber, Sementa?"  
  
"Over here!" the bubbly girl announced with a happy little wave to the teacher. To Radditz's surprise and horror, the old man actually _blushed!_ Fossils that old shouldn't have any hormones left worth speaking of! At least... he _thought_ that was the case. He hadn't ever actually _met_ someone as old as Professor Atric before, after all. What was he, two hundred, three hundred years old? How long _did_ it take to lose all the color in your hair and get that many wrinkles? For that matter, how did a person live that long without being killed? With an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Radditz realized that this man must be a very great warrior, despite his seeming infirmity. He would need to keep a close eye on this Professor Gerry Atric. Resolving to watch his step around this elderly teacher and do his best to remain in his good graces, Radditz turned his attention back to what the decrepit man was saying just in time to hear Professor Atric call out his name.  
  
"Son, Radditz?"  
  
Much to his annoyance, Scott Tape leaned over and nudged him in the side with his elbow. "That's your cue, Son," the other boy whispered with a grin and a wink. Radditz glared back. Every time Scott opened his mouth he managed to drop Radditz's opinion of him lower and lower. If he had his way, _no one_ would call him "Son". Besides which, the annoying teen didn't seem to know how to stay out of people's personal space, and it was becoming more and more tempting to... return the favor. With interest.  
  
"Is Son, Radditz here?" the teacher asked, interrupting Radditz's train of thought.  
  
The Saiyan teen shot off one more warning glare at Scott, then calmly raised his hand. "I'm here."  
  
Professor Atric adjusted the pair of glasses that were perched on his nose, then focused his rheumy eyes on Radditz. "Ah, yes, there you are." The pencil in his hand darted quickly across the piece of paper in his other hand, no doubt to make a mark next to the Saiyan's name to note his presence. "Sors, Dulsiz?"  
  
"Just Siz, please," came a meek reply from somewhere in the back of the room.  
  
The professor made a mark on his sheet, but otherwise ignored her request and moved on to the next name. There were only a few names left, including Strait, Tedge, who apparently hadn't bothered to come to school today, Tape, Scott, who laughed when he said "I'm here!", and Text, Latina, whose nose remained firmly planted in the book she was reading, simply raising one hand to indicate that she was present. Reaching the end of the list of students, Professor Atric placed a final mark on the sheet of paper with his stubby pencil, then set the attendance chart down on the desk.  
  
"Right, then," he began, allowing his watery eyes to travel around the room, resting only briefly on each student. "Most of you probably know the drill, as this is your second year at this high school, but there's usually at least one person who has never attended Orange Star High before, for whatever reasons. For starters, this is only an advisory period. You will not be coming here on a regular basis, but only on days when special announcements or instructions need to be given, such as your class schedules." Another bout of wheezing coughs wracked his frail body, making Radditz's eyes widen with alarm. Was this it? Was Professor Atric about to die? "Blasted allergies," Professor Atric muttered, too quietly for anyone to hear him unless they had a Saiyan's acute sense of hearing, then quickly straightened as much as his stooped frame would allow. Apparently Professor Gerry Atric wasn't quite as on the verge of death as Radditz had first believed. The old man broke out in another fit of coughing-  
  
_Then again..._  
  
-then cleared his throat and reached for a brown packet lying on his desk, seemingly oblivious to his approaching hour death. "When I call your name, please come up and get your schedule."  
  
Once again, the aged professor started calling out names, leaving Radditz to puzzle over why he hadn't handed out the schedules the first time he called their names. One by one the students made their way up to the front of the room, where Professor Atric handed them a sheet of paper, then returned to their seats. When Radditz's turn came, he stood up and approached the white haired man at a respectful pace, still determined not to do anything to raise this man's ire. Taking the proffered schedule from the teacher's unsteady hand, the Saiyan teen bowed deeply before walking back to his seat. Although he didn't see the startled expression on Professor Atric's face, he did hear the snickers that came from several of the students. What was so funny?  
  
"Brown noser," one boy whispered loudly, eliciting a few more snickers from several nearby kids.  
  
_What? _Confused by the comment, Radditz quickly rubbed his nose and examined his finger for evidence of dirt, which only seemed to increase the laughter coming from the teens. Sensing that he was being made the butt of some inside joke, Radditz scowled at the offending teenagers. "My nose is _not_ brown," he declared fiercely.  
  
Apparently this response was too much for them to handle, because they promptly burst out in laughter. There were even a few chuckles from some of the other students who hadn't laughed earlier at Radditz's bow. "Yeah, maybe it's not _now_, but if you keep kissing people's butts it won't stay that way for long!" another boy jeered. Radditz's face flushed with an uncomfortable mixture of anger and embarrassment.  
  
"Son, Radditz, stop clowning around and return to your seat _at once!_" Professor Atric barked sharply, snapping Radditz out of his thoughts of killing or severely maiming his mocking classmates. It was only respect for the venerable old professor (and maybe a little fear of the consequences of disobeying) that kept the Saiyan boy from acting on those impulses. Instead, he glared darkly at the other teenagers, then quickly sat down at his desk. He could contemplate their bloody murder after school.  
  
"Good one, Son!" Scott whispered upon Radditz's return, clapping the other boy heartily on the back... or on his hair, since Radditz's long spiky mane pretty much covered his whole back. He made a poor attempt to hush his laughter so as not to attract the teacher's attention, but even at the reduced volume it still grated on Radditz's nerves. "'My nose is not brown,'" he chortled, doing a fairly good impression of Radditz's voice. "I'll have to remember that one."  
  
"Just. Shut. Up," Radditz growled. He was _not _in the mood to put up with any more of Scott Tape's annoying attempts at conversation.  
  
With a twinkle in his eye, Scott nodded sagaciously and said, "Right. Gotta keep it down for the prof. We can talk about it after advisory."  
  
Apparently this guy didn't know how to take a hint. Radditz had absolutely no intention of talking to Scott after class, or after school, or ever again in his whole _life_, if he had anything to say about it! In fact, the only interaction Radditz was even considering having with Scott at this point was extremely physical and guaranteed to permanently end the problem of the other boy's constant pestering.  
  
"You all have your schedules," Professor Atric started speaking again after passing out all the schedules. "Once the bell rings, you're free to go. You'll have ten minutes to find your classroom, but I'd suggest you go straight there to avoid being late. Your teachers are likely to be lenient, seeing as it's the first day, but don't count on that being the case for the rest of the year. For now, you're welcome to sit and talk to your friends, so long as you keep it down." With what looked like an expression of relief, the frail old man sat down behind his desk, the joints of his bones making audible noises that made Radditz wince.  
  
Someone abruptly snatched his schedule out of his hand, causing Raddit'z head to whip around to find the perpetrator. He growled when his eyes landed on the person holding his schedule. Scott Tape _again!_ "Give that back!"  
  
"Sweet!" Scott exclaimed excitedly, shoving both Radditz's schedule and his own practically into the Saiyan teen's face. "Look, Son! We have exactly the same schedule! Isn't that great?!"  
  


~~**~~

  
Just a reminder that almost everything in this story is solely from Radditz's point of view. The motives he perceives people to have may not necessarily be their real motives. Interpretations of appearances and actions are severely skewed and biased.  
  
My biggest problem while writing this chapter was the fact that I would _have_ to use Original Characters. I do not like stories with prominent original characters, mostly because those OCs tend to be poorly written and start taking over the main character's role in the story. I _particularly_ dislike OCs who become romantic interests! They are almost ALWAYS badly characterized, thinly veiled author inserts. When I first started writing Sementa's character, I realized I had a big problem on my hand. By virtue of her character type and description, she seems like the perfect Mary Sue. I _hate_ Mary Sues. And besides which, Sementa isn't supposed to be anything like one, anyway. So I ended up having to spend quite a bit of time and thought figuring out ways to subtly indicate to the audience that she was not going to be one, that she was merely a pretty, slightly ditzy blonde. I sincerely hope I succeeded.  
  
Now, if you all would be so kind as to review... ^_^  



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